Roger Cook faces factional prize-fight over Papalia’s cabinet seat as three contenders emerge

Labor’s left is gearing up for a fight and it’s right faction is divided over the Cabinet spot vacated by Paul Papalia, with three clear contenders vying for the promotion and a six-figure pay rise. Senior ministers are privately confident a deal will be struck in time to avoid a messy factional split, but The West Australian has confirmed the deal’s not done yet despite powerbrokers knowing for weeks that Mr Papalia was about to retire. It’s a three-way fight to replace him between ‘boy wonder’ and parliamentary newbie Daniel Pastorelli, and two loyal servants — Divina D’anna on the left, or Samantha Rowe on the right. The winner gets a seat at the Cabinet table where policy decisions are locked in, and their pay would jump from $212,427 as a parliamentary secretary to $328,048 as a minister of the crown. Mr Pastorelli is a first-term MP and “untested”, according to one Labor colleague, but has already jumped ahead of the others to become Cabinet Secretary — with a higher $265,790 annual salary. He has the Premier’s ear as Cabinet Secretary, has been trusted to manage the controversial Perth Park project, and was at the forefront of Labor’s election wins in 2017, 2021 and 2025 as Communications Director then Chief of Staff for Mark McGowan and Roger Cook. His political career started in Rita Saffioti’s office, in Opposition. He holds enough influence to lure the Premier away from his desk in West Perth two weeks ago to flip a burger at a Landsdale lunch bar for social media clout, which has become a new battleground for ambitious backbenchers to build support and prove their worth. Mr Pastorelli’s official Facebook page has 1800 followers, versus Ms D’Anna’s 5600 followers. Both have an engagement rate of less than three per cent across their posts over the past 30 days, while Ms Rowe has an engagement rate of almost eight per cent despite only 1600 followers. In her most recent post, on Tuesday, she declared Swan Valley-produced coconut rough as her favourite treat on world chocolate day. Ms D’Anna posted four times in the past 24 hours, paying tribute to Mr Papalia, promoting Kimberley travel vouchers, how to claim the Government’s $100 fuel payment and spruiking the arrival of modular homes for workers in Kununurra. Mr Pastorelli didn’t deny he’s seeking the promotion, when he avoided the question on talkback radio. “I’m not going to pre-empt the decision by the caucus, and I’ll let that process play out,” he told ABC Drive. “I’ll just continue on with my job and get to work”. Ms Rowe has been next in line for the right ‘progressive Labor’ faction, and remains their preferred candidate. A faction source said that has been made clear to the Premier, but others confirmed a ‘captain’s call’ by Roger Cook to pick Mr Pastorelli would not be fiercely opposed. Mr Pastorelli is also part of Labor’s right faction, which argues it is currently under-represented on the front bench. Mr Papalia, who will formally resign on Friday, was unaligned. “When the old, unaligned depart, there was a deal that those positions go to progressive Labor,” a right faction source said. “(It) would be a breach of trust.” And they warned the Cook Government’s large backbench is frustrated. “If the left want another spot, one of them should make way,” they said. Labor’s left faction isn’t giving up on Ms D’anna though, who is aligned via the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union, and say they are “organising” in case it comes to a vote on Friday. “It would be a serious thing for caucus to overlook a second-term strong, capable, Aboriginal woman from regional WA in favour of a member who has only been in the job for 15 months,” one member of Labor’s left warned. The Premier won’t declare his favoured candidate in public. “I know that the caucus has a very talented field of people to choose from when they vote for that casual vacancy, and I know they make the right decision,” Mr Cook told reporters on Tuesday. “The rules of the party say that the decision is made by the caucus, the leader gets an opportunity to then allocate the portfolios.” The new minister will be revealed on Friday, with Mr Cook set to decide who gets what portfolio this weekend.